Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-27

wards issued from the door dazed and
bewildered. ut my wits end what TO do.
A few PAGES onward / ran against some
one. and. mutteriug PcrGiOne uStcd, "
would have passed on without looking
up if the man had not seized me by the
arm. II was Client. "What is it. Mr..
Lynton2 he cned good humoredly.
Have some senorta's eyes shot home
or-but what is IL Can 1 help You !
and he drew me ont of the sunshine into
the shade OF the covered way which runs
round the Zocodover, the great square
of Toledo.
"Some one has intercepted my let
ters," stammered. "a Spaniard called
for them this morning, presented one OF
my visiting cards, and said was at the
Fonda de Limo, where l did stay one
night. AL that / can get ont OF the
postmaster is that he gave mp the letters
and that all was done in order. Con-
found his stolidity One of them con-
tanned fifty pounds
He whistled. "Then there,is no time
to be lost, Mr.. Lynton, he cried. "Let
MS 60 first TO the Fonda. 1t is possible
that some busybody, knowing you did
not get your letters yesterday, has
fetched them for you on the Chance OF
getting a peseta for his pains"
[ gladly assented, and We went to-
gether to the hotel. But no one there
would confess to knowing anything of
my letters. No one had gone for them.
AS We left the yard / noticed that my
companion looked keenly at the waiter,
who was not too civil. "Do you sus-
pect him ?" l asked, when we were out
side.
81 hardly know" Client answered
slowly. Possibly you mislaid a card
the night you slept there, so that he is
one of the people TO be suspected. But
come, We Will so now to the post-ofiice.
l will help you as far as / can.
And indeed he did. His knowledge
OF the language was perfect. and II was
wonderful to hear him scolding, ques-
tioning, and complaining without end of
the wrongs his friend, his influential
friend whose passport he was waving I'M
der their official noses, had suffered.
But when presently everything had been
tried and for the time tried fruitlessly,
we stoodin the square and looked some
what blankly at one another.
81 say, Mr.. Lynton," he began, Fifty
pounds is a large sum to lose.
q wish it were less, replied, with
an attempt at sprightiness.
at does not cripple YOU altogether -
II can afford it, if that is what YOU
mean. But-but it lisa llttleinconvenent
at present. / answered.
at puts you in difficulty for few
days ?"
Precisely. l cannot receive another
remittance for five days at least. In the
mean time l have six-yes, pesetas
and a half.
"Umph Call it six shillings and
threepence, he replied, laughing. "The
cathedral vcrgers will soon case you of
it. even were it more. But look here !
we are next-door neighbors, and You
must let me help you. In a strange
country always keep few pounds by
me-they are at your service.
As he spoke he drew from an inner
pocket a shabby letter-case and took out
a acknowledgement note-the only
note, | saw. that the case contained.
Il am afraid" I said, dOubtfully, "that
I am inconyeniencing you. And be-
sides. YOU do not know me-"
81 shall not need the money" he re-
piled quickly, land as to knowing you,
/ think | do-not you personally, but
your kind"
"That is well said" l exclaimed,
with heartiness, "and I accept your
offer on one condition-that If you want
the money before Sunday you will tell
me So"
"Why. if I DO" he replied, laughing
nerrily, "you will have spent half Of
it."
$50 I shall, " ! said, laughing myself,
"but / have a watch, and Toledo no
doubt has a-let me call it Monte de
Pete"
d" Certomcnte ;" be cried gayly, and
with a word about meeting at dinner,
walked rapidly away, leaving me to my
thoughts. | watched him as he threaded
his way across the square between laden
asses and graceful girls with pitchers,
and comparing his slight upright form
with the sombre Spaniards who strutted
up and down, keeping, even on this sunny
day, corner of the cdpa over the
mouth, felt proud OF my countryman.
II do not think, l said penitently to
Jock, Il have not mentioned Jock be-
fore, although he was at that time my
constant companion-a collie dog with
the long Scotch head and the tenderest
eyes.) do not think that shall be so
quick to Judge the next man we meet
and DO not understand. All, these hasty
judgments, Jock !" and L shook my
head, and Jock his tail.
In due course q second remittance
came to hand, and l repaid my friend.
BY that time some of the wonder had
felt at his solitary life in Toledo-Toledo
the sombre-had passed away. He was
not altogether solitary, putting myself
out of the question. More than once,
in the archway or on the veranda, l
met priest coming from his rooms--a
small, dark, thin faced man, with vivid
eyes-a Spaniard of course-who lifted
his low crowned beaver to me and bowed
politely. Once, too, had glimpse OF
a petticoat whisking out. Moreover,
Client seemed to be doing better trade
than / had judged probable from the
specimen of his work which L had
seen. Not that he told me this him
self. He was reserved on the subject,
neither Offering to show me his pictures
nor accepting my proposal that we should
do some work together. But our letters
sometimes lay on a slab inside the outer
door, and l could not avoid seeing that
he received several-dealers' letters,
was sure-from art centres from ORES
den and Munich, for instance. Once
there was q letter bearing the postmarl
of st. Petersburg. This seemed strange
in a man of his calibre in man who
was not known to me. And, perhaps,
besides puzzling me, it Ia little nettled me
also. Ny name was not altogether I'm.
known. Client himself had said pretty
things about his acquaintance with it.
Yet l had no continental patrons, nc
market outside Great Britain.
II had fallen in with HIM at Madrid
or Seville ! should have known what tc
think. j should have set him down as
one Of those copyists who live by all
n -